If you looked 'Nice (Guy)' up in the dictionary you would see the picture above.

Kevin McManus was a great guy, and a great friend. Just not to me, but to everyone who met him.

I met Kevin while working at the Corporate Headquarters of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co on E. Market St in Akron, Ohio. (It has since relocated to a different address, but it is still in Akron.)

Kevin was born and raised in Pennsylvania to my knowledge, but moved to Akron to land a job in the corporate tax department at Goodyear. He became friends with a ton of fellow associates over the years. He came on golf trips to Myrtle Beach, SC with those friends, and others from Akron. He was an avid golfer, and he could hit the ball a mile even if he didn't know where it was going at times.

There was only one problem that we had between us. Being from Pennsylvania he was a big PittsburghSteelers fan. There were a number of friends who would come over to where I was living at the time to watch Cleveland Browns games. When ever the two teams collided he would always call me to rub it in if the Steelers were winning or actually won the game.

We were good friends and did a lot of things together with a lot of other friends. But what really made him happy was when he met Connie. KV, as the guys called him, was a little reserved, and wouldn't go out and ask a girl to dance. But he met Connie thru another friend Bob Keith, who was my boss in accounts payable at Goodyear. Bob was dating Connie's mother.

KV was smitten with Connie and they eventually married. Down the road they had a child together, Jody. KV was really proud of that little girl.

Eventually his talents were recognized by others, and he left Goodyear for a position with a company called Tri Nova (Formerly Libbey Owens Ford) in Toledo, Ohio. Needless to say we never saw him that often. However, a few friends, and I did visit him one time for a golfing weekend.

He then moved on to an offer he couldn't refuse to work for the tax department of the corporate headquarters for Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas.

I never heard much from him after that, and later found out that he was having a lot of health problems. Had I known that it was as serious as it was I would have contacted him more out there.

Then one day in September of last year (2017) his wife Connie called me. I knew that it was not good news. She told me that 'good ole' Kv had passed away. It was quite a shock, but I didn't want to upset Connie so I tried to hold it together.

It reminds me of a tune by Billy Joel 'Only The Good Die Young'! It rings true in this case. KV was one of the nicest guys that I ever met, and I will never forget him. But I will always think about him if the Steelers beat the Browns! And I will miss the bantering back and fourth because it was all in fun! KV KV!

Here are a few pics from the golf trips in Myrtle Beach, and one from Disneyland in California.